Flail knife mounting



Jan. 28, 1969 R W, WOODR|NG ET Al. 3,423,920

FLAIL KNIFE MOUNTING Filed Deo. 20, 1965 $12020 a@ 5l/fan I Jan. 28, 1969 R. w. wooDRlNG ET AL 3,423,920

FLAIL KNIFE MOUNTING med nec. 2o, 1965 sheet a of 2 www@ United States Patent O 3,423,920 FLAIL KNIFE MOUNTING Robert W. Woodring, La Grange, John J. Kowalik, Glenview, and Bruno J. Panek, Chicago, Ill., assignors to International Harvester Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 20, 1965, Ser. No. 514,831 U.S. Cl. 56-294 Int. Cl. A01d 55/20, 55/22 ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A fiail knife mounting encompassing a holder having a pair of releasably connected portions providing seats therebetween, a knife-mounting ring interposed between said portions and mounted on the seats for swinging movement thereon.

The present invention relates to a flail knife mounting.

The invention has particular adaptability to mowers of the kind incorporating a transverse horizontal rotating bar or shaft with flail knives mounted thereon which fly toward radial position in response to rotation of the shaft.

A broad object of the invention is to provide novel means for mounting such flail knives on such a shaft.

Another object is to provide novel mounting means of the character indicated enabling quick and easy mounting of the knives on the shaft and removal therefrom.

Still another object is to provide means for mounting flail knives of the general character referred to, which is readily adaptable to presently known knives and clips or holders therefor.

Another and more specific object is to provide mounting elements of the general character just referred to wherein a single kind of clip or holder is adapted to use with a plurality of ydifferent kinds of mounting elements.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detail description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein- FIGURE l is a view of a portion of a mower shaft embodying flail knife mountings of the present invention and showing a number of such mountings;

FIGURE 2 is a view taken substantially on a radius of the shaft shown in FIGURE 1 and showing certain of the mounting elements in elevation and others in section;

FIGURE 3 is a view from the right of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing a modified form of the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to Figures 2 and 4, showing another modified form of the invention;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURES 2. 4. and 5 showing still another form of the invention; an-d FIGURE 7 is a view from the right of FIGURE 6.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, attention is directed first to FIGURE l which shows a tubular shaft 10 incorporateed in a mower of the character stated. In such a mower, the shaft extends horizontally therein, transverse to the direction of movement and in the normal operation rotates about its longitudinal central axis 11. Mounted on the shaft are a plurality of knife assemblies 13 which, upon rotation of the shaft, fly out toward the radial and cut the forage plants the full extent transversely of the mower, in the progression of the lmovement thereof.

The present invention has to do specifically with means for mounting the ilail knives on the shaft. The invention is incorporated in several different embodiments a first of which is represented in FIGURES 2 and 3. In this embodiment of the invention, the shaft 10 is preferably cylindrical in cross-section, having a surrounding wall element 12 provided with a plurality of apertures 14 one for each of the knife assemblies.

3 Claims Each knife assembly includes as the main components thereof a pair of clips or holders 16, a mounting ring 18 and knives 20 which are usually two in number. Other elements will be referred to hereinbelow.

The clips or holders 16 may be the same or opposite and symmetrical in structure, each including an elongated body portion 22 and a loop or return bend 24 terminating in a foot 26. The clips are put in place 'by inserting each into position individually, i.e., the Ifoot is first inserted through the aperture 14 and then angularly moved or turned so that the foot engages the inner surface of the wall element of the shaft, and when both clips are in position the bodies 22 thereof are in adjacent, back-to-back position, preferably spaced apart a short distance. In the present instance a spacer 28 is provided, this spacer |being in the form of a sleeve or axially elongated washer interposed between'the bodies 22. A retaining means in the form of a bolt 30 is inserted through aligned openings in the clips and through the spacer 28 and a nut 32 is threaded thereon and drawn up tight to secure the clips, with the spacer, in a rigid assembly. Each body 22 includes a wall element 34 generally U-shaped in configuration in side view (FIGURE 3), having a bottom portion 36 `forming a thickened extension of the outer end of the body 22, and side elements terminating in upwardly directed free ex-` tensions 38. The dimensions and proportions of the various elements are such that when the clips are put in position as above described, and the bolt 30 is put in position, the upper ends 38 of the side walls engage the outer surface of the shaft, and these elements together with the 4feet 26 secure the clips rigidly to the shaf The mounting ring 18, preferably of spring wire, in the present instance is D-shaped and includes a central bight portion 40 and ends 42 defining a gap 44 therebetween. rIlhe gap 44 is of such dimension that the knives 20 may be inserted through the gap to a position in which the apertures 46 therein are in register with the ends 42 of the ring and then the knives moved over the ring to the position shown. In the assembly of the elements, they are worked into their finally assembled position in a suitable mannerrst for example by inserting the feet 26 of the clips through the aperture 14, and inserting one of the ends 42 through the aperture 48 in the corresponding clip; with the other clip moved into an angular position with its lower end -abutting the lower end of the first clip, the other end 42 is inserted into the aperture 48 in the second clip; then the clips are moved into parallel position, the spacer 28 is put into position, and the bolt 30 put in place.

The knives 20 as stated above may be of any desired form and need not be described herein. The knives lie on opposite sides of a plane, represened by a line 50, disposed perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the shaft.

Upon such rotation of the sha-ft the D-ring 18, as well as the knives, flies out to approximately radial position. In this action, the ends 42 of the ring remain :fully in engagement with the surface of the apertures 48 without any tendency toward spreading of the ends of the ringf these portions being, at their interengagement, substantially perpendicular to the plane 50 and hence to the centrifugal yforces involved. The clips 16 remain in a rigid assembly and are immovable against the centrifugal forces.

When the knives 20 become dulled they may be easily and quickly replaced by removing the bolt 30 and moving the radially outer ends of the clips toward each other, whereupon the D-ring 18 may be removed from its position, the old knives 20 removed, a new set of knives replaced, and the ring again replaced in the clips, and then the final step of replacing the bolt 30 is performed.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG- URE 4, the clips 52 are essentially the same as or equivalent to the clips 16 in the first embodiment. In the present instance instead of the U-shaped wall 34, extensions or lugs 54 are provided adjacent the radially inner ends of the body 22 to engage the outer surface of the shaft. The clips are then secured rigidly in position in the same manner described in connection with FIGURE 2.

In the present instance the mounting ring 56 includes a bight portion 58 with crossed legs 60 terminating in end portions 62 that have their free ends extending outwardly away from each other. The crossed legs 60 are spaced apart a suicient distance to receive the knives 20 therebetween, and the knives are put in position on the ring as described above in connection with the first embodiment. The terminal extensions 62 are fitted in the apertures 48 in the clips, but extend outwardly therethrough away from each other. The terminal extensions 62 are substantially perpendicular to the plane 50 and effectively withstand tendency to dislodge the knives due to rotation of the shaft.

Referring now to the embodiment of the invention represented in FIGURE 5, this construction involves a mounting ring 64 essentially the same as the ring 56, but with the difference that the end portions 66 of the ring 64 are shorter than the corresponding end portions 62 of the other ring. In the present instance the clips 68 are similar to the clips of the two previous forms except that they are arranged with wall elements or anges 70, which may be U-shaped in side view, directed inwardly toward each other, or opposite that described in connection with FIGURE 2. These wall elements or flanges have bottom portions 72 forming seats for the ends 66 of the rings. It will be understood that the various elements are dimensioned and proportioned for maintaining the assembly in the desired relation, such for example as exemplified by the fact that the spacer 74 is of greater axial dimension than the spacer 28.

FIGURES 6 and 7 show another modification of the invention. In the present instance the clips 76, at their radially outer ends, have axially extending half-cyclinder elements 78 so arranged that when the clips are fitted together in the manner described above, they overlap and together form a cylindrical supporting member. The knives 20 in this case are mounted on a ring 80 having central bight portion 90 merging into legs 92 terminating in end portions 94 facing toward each other defining a gap 96 therebetween. The ring 88 is given a 90 twist whereby the bight portion 90 thereof and the end portions 94 are disposed in mutually perpendicular planes. The gap 96 is substantially less than the thickness of the two half-cylinder elements 78 together. The parts are assembled by first inserting one of the elements 78 through the ring 88, and then working the other clip 76 to put the element 78 thereof also through the ring, and then the bolt 30 is put in place and tightened to secure the various elements in rigid assembly. The ring 88 then remains in place on the clips 76 against forces tending to dislodge it in the rotation of the shaft, and the ring retains the elements 78 together.

We claim:

1. A ail knife and mounting assembly for use in conjunction with a tubular shaft having a surrounding wall element with apertures therethrough, comprising in combination, a pair of clips disposed in the aperture having laterally outwardly extending feet engaging the inner surface of the wall element and having body portions projecting radially outwardly through the aperture, a knife, and a mounting ring of discontinuous form having a central continuous portion received in an opening in the knife and having terminal end elements separated from each other and having mounting contact engagement with said clips, and together with the clips having interlocking engagement in directions operative for supporting the ring and thereby the knife on the clips and withstanding forces tending to separate them generated by rotation of the shaft wherein said clips are detachably secured to the shaft, said ring has a central continuous bight portion and crossed legs terminating in end portions directed generally away from each other, and the clips at their radially outer ends have seats receiving said ends of said legs.

2. The invention set out in claim 1 wherein the clips have apertures therein and the end portions of the legs extend therethrough.

3. A ail knife and mounting assembly for use in conjunction with a tubular shaft having a surrounding wall element with apertures therethrough, comprising in combination, a pair of clips disposed in the aperture having laterally outwardly extending feet engaging the inner surface of the wall element and having body portions projecting radially outwardly through the aperture, a knife, and a mounting ring of discontinuous form having a central continuous portion received in an opening in the knife and having terminal end elements separated from each other and having mounting contact engagement with said clips, and together with the clips having interlocking engagement in directions operative for supporting the ring and thereby the knife on the clips and withstanding forces tending to separate them generated by rotation of the shaft wherein said clips are detachably secured to the shaft, and said ring has a central continuous bight portion and crossed legs terminating in end portions directed generally away from each other, said clips have peripheral flanges extending toward each other, the anges defining seats at their radially outer ends, the seats being defined axially by said wall elements, and said seals lreceiving the end portions of said legs.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,043,080 7/1962 Mott 56-294 3,292,353 12/1966 Woodring et al. 56-294 HUGH R. CHAMBLEE, Primary Examiner. 

